Method of mining coal.



PATENTED JUNE 2, 1903'.

W. FOGLESONG.

METHOD OF MINING GOAL.

APPLICATION ,EIYLED JUNE 5,1902.-

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

- INVEN TO WITNESSES Affomgzy a No. 729,566. PATENTBDJUNE 2,1903.

W. FOGLESONG. METHOD OF MINING GOAL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5, 1902- N0 MODEL. SHBETS-SHBET 2.

WI /Z3555.- I INVENYT-OR I I B UNITED STATES Patented June 2, 1903.

WASHINGTON FOGLESONG, OE DAYTON, OHIO.

METHOD OF MINING COAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 729,566, dated June 2,1903.

Application filed June 5,1902.

To aZZ whom it may concern: 2 Be it known that 1, WASHINGTON FOGLE-SONG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the countyof Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Methods of Mining Coal; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same. My present invention relates to the art ofmining, andhas for its object the better mining of coal in thin veins,by Which the amount of labor is reduced and the coal left in bettermarketable condition.

My improved method is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and thesame is'fully set forth in the following description and claims.

In the present modes of getting out coal found in thin veins theso-called long-wall method is generally employed. In carrying on miningoperations in this way the coal is undercut by hand or machine along theWhole length of the wall in the drift, and it is then broken down byblast or other means. The work of getting out the coal thereafter to thecars in the haulways is very great and constitutes a very large partofthe cost. .By my invention the cost of this part .ofthe op erationis-greatly reduced, with the further. gain of getting the coal morequickly to the cars and leaving the coal'in larger masses and in bettermarketable condition.

In the drawings,-'Figure 1 is a horizontal section of a mine, the-carsin the haulway, and the appliances employed to move the coal to thecars.. Fig. 2, is a vertical'section showing thecoal' undercut andthe-trays inserted i-n thekerf. Fig.3 is a top or plan view of the partsshown in.Fig. 2 with the coal broken down and in readiness to be movedto the haulway. Fig. 4 is a top or plan view of two ofthe ways andthemannerlin which they aremade to overlap. Fig. 5 is a trans versesectional view of one of the trays.

The hauling-trays employed by me are each composed of a single sheet ofmetal A of substantially the same width as the kerf usually cut beneaththe coal and having the main portion of the body of the same providedSerial No. 110,345. (No model.)

with straight parallel sides. Atthe ends the sides are cut away to forminclines. a. a to enable the tray to more easily pass obstacles alongthe straight portion of one edge. The tray is provided with arigidupwardly-extending flange or side a, which is of slightly lessheight than the kerf. The opposite side of the tray is preferablyprovided.with a hinged side or flap b. This sidemay be raised into avertical position,.as shown-in Fig. 5, in Whichposition it is held bylatches bb of the form bestshown in Fig. f 1.

In line with the rearward latch 1) is placed a row of breaking-points 0.These points are made pyramidal in form and are of the same or slightlyless height than the rigid side of the body. The front of the tray isprovided with a hook d, by which it may be drawn from place to place.

The construction and arrangement of this device is such that when thetrays are brought together with the front end of one overlapping therear end of another the side a of one will abut against the side a, ofthe other and the sides I) will in like manner, the two formingpractically continuous upwardly-extending sides for the trays. Whenplaced in this position, the hook d of one tray will be practically inline with the breaking-points c of thetray immediatelyforward ofit.

- In the practical working of a mine the kerf oftheusiial si'ze is firstcut in the coal at the bottom of the wall along the whole length'of thesame. The trays are then inserted in the kerf, the forwardend of oneoverlapping the rear end of the one in front of it to bring the sides aand b in contact. Thesides bare then preferably raised into position andsecured by the latches b. The trays are inserted in thekerfthe wholedistanceit is proposed to break down the coal at onetime.

When the trays are in position, the coal is then broken down by blast orotherwise. When the coal is so broken down, the'side a Will act as abreaker to break thecoalin line therewith and longitudinally of thewall,and the breaker-points 0 will act to break the coal transversely.There may be transverse breaks at other points; but these points willcause a line of breakage across the body of the falling coal above them.The tray nearest the haulway is then connected with some power deviceand drawn to the hanlway. In doing this the breaking-points hold thecoal on the tray and prevent its sliding rearward upon it.

When the tray reaches the haulway, it is placed in the best position todischarge its load into a car. To facilitate doing this, the side orflap 1) may be released from its latches and turned downward to theposition desired.

After the tray has been discharged of its load it is drawn back to aplace in line with the long wall, to be again used as described. Thenext tray is then drawn to the haulway and unloaded in like manner. Thisis continued until all the coal broken down is removed, when theoperation is repeated.

Any suitable means may be employed for moving the trays. Inthisvinstance I have shown an electric motor E, actuating drums e e,upon one of which the cablefis wound as it is released from the other.By this means I am enabled to put a carrying means beneath the coalbefore breaking it down without employing a track for said carryingmeans and am able to remove the coal without increasing the size of thekerf from that usually employed.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The process of mining coal which consists in forming a kert of usualdimensions at the bottom of the wall and along the same, then placinghauling-trays in said kerf from the side of the wall, then breaking thecoal down upon the trays, then hauling the coal away upon said trays,substantially as described.

2. The process of mining coal which consists of forming a kerf from theside of the wall of usual dimensions under the coal, along a long wall,then placing hauling-trays in said kerf for the entire distance it isdesired to break the coal down at one time, then breaking down the coal,and then hauling the trays in succession to and loadingthe coal upon theusual cars, substantially as described.

. 3. In the art of mining coal, the process which consists in placing aseries of hauling devices beneath undercut coal, then breaking down thecoal upon hauling devices,and at the same time breaking the coal toseparate the coal into separate loads for the hauling devices,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

'WASHINGTON FOGLESONG.

Witnesses:

O. O. SIPE, A. A. HARTSOCK.

